A Senate subcommittee on Tuesday moved its initial recommendation for the School Aid budget, including a 3.1 percent increase in the per pupil foundation allowance and sticking with Governor Gretchen Whitmer's recommendation to reduce payments to other post-employment benefits.
Lawmakers and statewide officers were required to file financial disclosures on Monday for the first time in state history, though the specifics of the filings were limited as officials for the most part don't need to report specific amounts of income.
President Joe Biden won Michigan's Democratic primary election with slightly more than 80 percent of the vote.
Renewable energy projects without state funding would be required to pay the prevailing wage under a bill discussed in the Senate Labor Committee on Thursday.
Senators' main questions Thursday for Department of Transportation officials about the governor's proposed budget centered on the level of marijuana revenues it is receiving and on the level of debt service payments that could be made.
The proposed 2024-25 School Aid budget continues Governor Gretchen Whitmer's administration's efforts to fund preschool for every four-year-old in the state while also increasing funding toward students considered at risk.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks announced changes Thursday to 11 committees, all involving the addition or removal of Democratic members which was said to be a move to better accommodate majority members' schedules and improve efficiency.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Michael Rice discussed at length the exponential increases in funding for K-12 programs during the past few years, saying students who are often underfunded had their needs better addressed.
The conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to divide Michigan Democrats with some calling for a sustained ceasefire in the region to avoid more civilian casualties of Palestinians living in Gaza, while similar minded protesters assembled outside U.S. Sen. Gary Peters' home during the weekend.
The Senate's minority leader this week introduced a resolution calling for the resignation of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib over her comments during the Israel-Hamas conflict and took to the Senate floor Thursday calling her unfit for office.